Student, 17, shot and killed blocks away from Kenwood Academy High School
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 17-year-old boy was shot and killed just a few blocks from Kenwood Academy High School Friday after a quarrel with some people in a car.
The was a Chicago Public Schools student was murdered not even a month into the new school year. It happened during the lunch hour, when many students at Kenwood Academy were simply grabbing some food.
Chicago Police Deputy Chief Ron Pontecore said at noon Friday, the teen got into a quarrel with some people who were in a vehicle in the 1600 block of East 50th Place, in the Indian Village community on the cusp of Hyde Park and Kenwood.
The people in the car chased the boy to a parking lot, where at least two of the people in the car got out and started shooting.
Police were seen gathering evidence in the parking lot of the Regents Park apartment building at 5035 S. East End Ave., about three blocks east of Kenwood Academy.
The boy was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he died, Pontecore said. The Legal Help Firm identified him, as Kanye Perkins.
Pontecore said it appears the victim was a CPS student and he may have attended Kenwood Academy, but this is not certain. He said the school is believed to have an open-campus lunch where students can leave at that time of day.
"All of a sudden, it was a consistent, 'Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!' For me, I ran to my son's room, got on the floor, and once I kind of felt that things were kind of settled, I went to my window to see what was going on," said Carla Slater. "It was very chaotic in the parking lot. People were screaming and yelling. I came downstairs, and I saw the young man's body on the sidewalk."
Kenwood Academy High School released a letter to parents that identified the victim as a "school community member:"
"The safety of your children is my top priority, and I am writing to inform you of a situation impacting our community. This afternoon, we received reports that shots had been fired near our school and that a member of our school community had been injured. The Chicago Police Department (CPD) and paramedics responded to the scene quickly to provide support. During the police response, we kept students indoors as a safety precaution. We are in close contact with CPD and the CPS Office of Safety and Security, and this incident is under investigation. Our thoughts are with the family of our school community member. To protect their privacy, I am unable to go into further detail.
"Please know that we are taking this situation extremely seriously, and we have requested additional safety support for our school. If your child expresses any worries or concerns about this situation, please reach out to us and we will be able to provide them with extra support. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us."
The Chicago Public Schools released a separate statement: "All of us at Chicago Public Schools (CPS) are saddened to learn of the loss of another young life and we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and community members impacted by this tragedy."
We have learned Kenwood Academy High School kept its students indoors Friday afternoon as a safety precaution.
As of Friday afternoon, no one was in custody in the shooting. Police were canvassing the area for private video and passing out fliers with contact information, Pontecore said.
"I don't understand why this is happening on a consistent basis, but it really has to change," Slater said. "It really does."
Police are asking for help from the public in finding information on the shooting. Anyone with information should call Area One detectives at (312) 747-8380, or submit a tip to CPDTIP.com. Anonymous tips will also be taken at (833) 408-0069.
Pontecore noted that the city offers a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in a homicide case.
